Climate Justice and Shared Prosperity

From serving as Washington’s Energy Policy Director to helping Seattle build a carbon-free electric utility, climate advocate and policy architect KC Golden has done it all. Though the environmental movement is where Golden made his mark, he sees climate change as an “everything” issue. First and most important, it’s about social justice. “The people who do the least to cause climate disruption suffer from it the most, in Washington and around the world. That’s something we’ve all got to stand up to. Our solutions need to address that injustice head-on.”

The transition to a clean energy economy is a transition to more broadly-shared economic opportunity.

Golden supports the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy, the growing coalition of diverse people and groups from across the state advancing climate solutions in Washington. “The Alliance is mobilizing the people power we need to overcome the concentrated economic and political power of the fossil fuel industry.”

Golden’s vision for climate justice includes significant public and private investment in solutions for all – practical, affordable alternatives to fossil fuel dependence. “The transition to a clean energy economy is a transition to more broadly-shared economic opportunity. Fossil fuels concentrate wealth, compromise health, and undermine the future. By making the transition to clean energy and better transportation choices, we can build healthier communities and a stronger economy – an economy that works for a long time, for a lot more people. Reduced demand for fossil fuels means expanded opportunity for economic justice advocates, labor, communities of color, businesses and conservationists.”